After much anticipation and speculation, the Chicago White Sox reportedly have finally dealt right-hander Jake Peavy to the Boston Red Sox— except there’s a third team involved, too.

Though the deal is not yet formalized and is pending medicals, multiple sources have the Detroit Tigersjumping into the mix as the third party in the trade, sending outfielder Avisail Garcia to the White Sox in exchange for shortstop Jose Iglesias, whom the Red Sox will part with for Peavy.

Peavy, 32, was targeted by just about every competing team in need of an arm, but after much patience White Sox GM Rick Hahn must have felt that getting a piece from Boston to acquire a potential long-term outfielder in Garcia was the best return the Pale Hose could have gotten for the veteran starter.

Though he struggled in limited opportunities with the Tigers in 2013 with a .646 OPS over 88 PA, the 22-year-old Garcia did impress in his first taste of the bigs in 2012, hitting .319 over 51 PA in Detroit. He has shown an ability to hit for average in the minors with some speed and a dash of power, and his acquisition could be seen as the White Sox officially moving on from incumbent RF Alex Rios, who is all but certain to be dealt.

With a record 8-4 record and a 4.28 ERA in Chicago, Boston will receive one of baseball’s top competitors in Peavy. Although he’s not the same pitcher who won the Cy Young Award back in 2007, Peavy’s pinpoint control has allowed him to remain a top-end starter. His 4.47 strikeout-to-walk ratio for this season is the best in his career, and the Red Sox certainly upgraded their starting rotation by landing the righty.

The Peavy trade doesn’t figure to be the White Sox’ last move as we get closer and closer to the MLB Trade Deadline. I’d expect Hahn to continue his philosophy of trying to pick up young, impact talent in each deal made before the clock hits 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday — Avisail Garcia is just the start of that process.

Matt Malecha is a Chicago White Sox writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMalecha and add him to your network on Google.

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